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Know It All

February 02, 2013, 05:00 AM

Between 2011 and 2015, the older population will grow at a rate of four times faster than the general population. By 2030, about one on five people will be 65 or over.

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A 2002 survey says that more than half of adults age 65 and older have most of their natural teeth. "Most” means they have lost not more than five teeth. In the 1950s, more than half of adults aged 65 and older had lost all their teeth.

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George Washington (1732-1799) never owned a set of wooden teeth. He did own many sets of dentures but none were of wood construction. Washington began losing teeth at age 22. When he was inaugurated for his first term as president in 1789, he had only one natural tooth remaining and was wearing a full set of dentures.

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John McMorran (1889-2003), at one time the oldest man in the U.S., died at the age of 113. He attributed his long life to quitting cigars when he was 97. He lived for 16 more smoke-free years.

One hundred years ago the average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47. Today the average life expectancy is 77.4 years.

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The Fountain of Youth is, alas, a myth. Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon (1460-1521) searched for the legendary spring that contained water with the remarkable ability to restore youth. In 1513, during his search for the fountain, he came ashore in what is now Florida and claimed the continent for Spain.

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Rhytidectomy is the medical term for a face-lift.

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Tony Randall's (1920-2004) wife Heather Harlan was 51 years his junior. He became a father for the first time at the age of 77.

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There was a 44 year age difference between Fred Astaire (1899-1987) and his wife Robyn Smith; 45 years between Tony Curtis (born 1925) and wife Jill Vanden Berg; 47 years between Cary Grant (1904-1986) and wife Barbara Harris.

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Do you know what is a sexagenarian is? How about a septuagenarian, octogenarian, nonagenarian and centenarian? See answer at end.

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The oldest person to receive an Academy Award was Jessica Tandy (1909-1994). She was 80 when she received an Oscar for Best Actress the movie "Driving Miss Daisy” in 1989. The movie also won Best Picture.

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The first quiz show on radio was Professor Quiz. The quiz show debuted on Oct. 11, 1936 and awarded $10 cash prizes for the correct answers to general information questions.

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Strom Thurmond (1902-2003) was the oldest person to serve in the United States Congress. He was also the longest serving senator. He retired after more than 48 years in the Senate at age of 100.

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Answer: A sexagenarian a person who is between the ages of 60 and 70. A septuagenarian is between 70 and 80. An octogenarian is 80 to 90 years old, a nonagenarian is 90 to 100 and a centenarian is over 100 years old.

Know It All is by Kerry McArdle. It runs in the weekend and Wednesday editions of the Daily Journal. Questions? Comments? Email knowitall@smdailyjournal.com or call 344-5200 ext. 114.